"It's More Than Sales!" Reexamining Exhibitor Motivations: Insights from the Conference Sector

Abstract

Conference exhibitors are important stakeholders in the business events sector. Yet, industry professionals such as conference organizers, convention bureau, and convention centers have limited understanding of the needs and motivations of exhibitors at conferences. Research on exhibitor motivations in the business events sector has largely focused on exhibitions and trade shows and neglected motivations for exhibiting at conferences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to address this gap: to determine the motivations of conference exhibitors. The article presents findings from semistructured interviews with 26 exhibitors from four conferences held in Sydney, Australia, representing four industry sectors—medical, engineering, technology, and community services. Surprisingly, sales were not a primary motivation for conference exhibitors. Conference exhibitors are motivated to contribute to their respective industry sectors through sharing knowledge and information, building relationships, and building brand reputation within the industry space.